The Bangladesh Nationalist Front (BNF) has proposed a poll-time government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and comprising members of all political parties during the next general election.
In a scheduled dialogue with the Election Commission (EC) yesterday, a party delegation also recommended against Army deployment for the polls. The BNF told chief election commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda that the Army’s professionalism was being eroded for its participation in development work, disaster management, and relief distribution among Rohingya refugees.
“It’s a force to protect our motherland. Myanmar violates our airspace, but we're terrified of that country to react. It's because the Army’s professionalism is diminishing day by day. The armed forces should behave like armed forces. I don’t think there is any necessity to use the Army in a helter-skelter manner,” BNF president SM Abul Kalam Azad told reporters after coming out of the meeting at Election Bhaban in Dhaka.
“According to the 15th amendment to the Constitution, an election-time government should be formed with the representatives of the 10th Parliament. Besides, one-tenth technocrat ministers from the ninth Parliament should be taken in. It'll be helpful for including the BNP, Liberal Democratic Party and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) in the poll-time administration,” Azad said.
The EC has to take initiatives for establishing politics of reconciliation instead of politics of revenge, he added. He claimed that the CEC has asked BNF to take the initiative for holding an all-party conference. “I'll appeal to all political parties to sit together and discuss how to make the next general elections fruitful. It might take one or two months for us,” he said.
A 27-member delegation of BNF placed five proposals to the EC. The proposals included ensuring the security of voters, candidates and supporters; introduction of uniform posters and platforms for delivering speeches by the candidates; and EC initiatives to provide annual financial assistance to registered political parties.
Also yesterday, the Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) made five recommendations to the EC. These included a supportive or non-partisan government during polls, Army deployment, installation of CCTV at polling centres, inclusion of expatriate voters, and affidavits with agreement papers.
BJP chairman Barrister Andaliv Rahman said: “It would be difficult for the EC to conduct free and fair polls if the next general election is not held under a supportive or non-partisan government.”
“The Army has to be deployed with magistracy power before 10 days of the polls. Metropolitan police commissioners, deputy commissioners and senior EC officials should be transferred before the election,” he added.
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